Gwanghwamun Square voted Seoul's top landmark by foreigners

SEOUL, May 09 (AJU PRESS) - Foreigners chose Gwanghwamun Square as Seoul's most symbolic place, while Seoul citizens considered the Han River as the city's top landmark, a survey reveals. According to the annual survey released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday, nearly half of foreign respondents or 45.9 percent picked Gwanghwamun Square as the capital's main landmark, followed by nearby royal palaces (41.4 percent), Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a multi-p

May 9, 2024

Korea's workforce expected to decline by 10 million by 2044 

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - Korea is expected to face a dramatic decline in its workforce of nearly 10 million by 2044 due to its low fertility rate, a report released by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future (KPPIF) Tuesday shows. According to the report, the population aged 15 to 64, totaling 36.57 million in 2023, is projected to decline to 27.17 million by 2044. The total population will fall to 39.69 million in 2065 from 51.71 million in 2023. KPPIF forecasts

May 7, 2024

Event promoting Korea underway in Paris ahead of Olympics

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - A Korea-themed festival featuring various events and splendid programs are currently underway across France, under the name of "2024 Korean Season." More than a dozen Korean cultural organizations including the Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, are actively promoting Korea at the festival which runs for six months. The festival kicked off with a captivating performance and dance battle b

May 7, 2024

Spike in juvenile gambling raises concerns in Korea

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - The number of Korean juveniles booked for illegal gambling more than doubled last year, prompting police to come up with comprehensive preventative measures. A total of 171 teenagers aged 14-19 were booked on suspicion of illegal gambling in 2023, a 2.3-fold increase from 74 in the previous year, the National Police Agency said Friday. Boys accounted for 92.4 percent of them. The average age of such suspects has steadily declined over the past five y

May 3, 2024

Yoon, opposition leader sit down for talks for first time

SEOUL, April 29 (AJU PRESS) - President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in discussions with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to revive people's livelihoods, following the ruling party's resounding defeat in the April 10 elections. In the elections, the ruling People Power Party secured only 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, compared to the opposition Democratic Party's 175. The meeting took place 720 days since Yoon took office in May 2022. During the talks held at

April 29, 2024

Korea sees 22% surge in moonlighting workers during 1st quarter

SEOUL, April 29 (AJU PRESS) – The number of Koreans juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet rose by about a quarter in the first quarter of the year, data showed Monday. The increase is particularly high among young and middle-aged workers, many engaging in the gig economy such as food delivery services. Statistics Korea said the number of people who held one or more side jobs alongside their main one during the first three months of the year totaled 552,000, up 22.4 percen

April 29, 2024

Seoul unveils new slogan for iconic landmark 'Dongdaemun Design Plaza'

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul Design Foundation unveiled a new slogan for the capital city's iconic landmark "Dongdaemun Design Plaza" during an event commemorating the design epicenter's 10th anniversary on Friday. Replacing the old initiative of "Dream, Design, Play," the new slogan "Amazing Tomorrow" embodies Seoul's commitment to mesmerize both Koreans and foreigners for the next decade with DDP's futuristic architectural d

April 26, 2024

Korean football team fails to qualify for Olympics for first time in 40 years

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's hopes of securing a spot in the men's football in the Paris Olympics were shattered Thursday after they lost to Indonesia in a penalty shootout in Doha, Qatar. This is the first time in 40 years that Korea has missed the men's football tournament at the Olympics since the 1984 Los Angeles games. Korea faced Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium i

April 26, 2024

Seoul aims to revitalize Han River into leisure, tourism hub

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul city government is pushing for a major development plan for the Han River and its waterfront areas, including the construction of a floating hotel, a water-ski slope, urban marinas and various leisure activity facilities. Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the initiative, dubbed "River City Seoul," on Wednesday as part of efforts to revitalize the river into a vibrant hub of leisure and tourism by 2030. A total of 550 billion won ($400

April 25, 2024

SNU professor to spearhead Korea's inaugural space agency

SEOUL, April 24 (AJU PRESS) - President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed an aerospace professor at Seoul National University as the inaugural chief to oversee Korea's forthcoming space agency, the presidential office said Wednesday. Yoon Young-bin will spearhead the Korean equivalent of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), called the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), slated for launch in late May. Obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in

April 24, 2024